Alien General's Beloved: SciFi Alien Romance (Brion Brides) by Vi Voxley

concern beating in his heart.
    The gorgeous captain had an effect on him unlike anything else he'd ever experienced. There had been women in his life, but they were all fleeting memories now. Brions bonded for life—the sacred union between the gesha and the gerion was more important to them than anything else. Before that, they mostly "practiced" with people they liked, often after the heat of battle, but formed no connection with them.
    Lana was different. He hadn't even touched her properly, but already she had a stronger hold over him than any woman he'd been with. The sound of her voice, the body that begged to be touched, it was all driving him insane. Just the sight of her alone made his cock stir, rubbing painfully hard against his pants.
    Before, when he'd held her in his arms, it had taken all of his self-control not to take her like her body clearly wished. It was an unknown sensation for Corden, but he only wanted more of it. And the more he thought about her, the worse his concern got. Something eternal and invincible compelled him to follow, had compelled him to tell her his real name.
    He wouldn't let Lana face Worgen alone, not after what they'd done. Or more specifically, what he had done. He should have been more careful.
    And he was playing with fire again. The danger Lana was in made him careless, a word he had never associated with himself. Coming so close to Worgen was a terrible idea. The other general's senses were bound to be as good as his, possibly even better, since he'd had more time to train himself. Even absence of sound gave clues to those who were listening.
    Corden edged as close as he could, masking the sound of his footsteps with the noise of the bay. The engine rumbled beneath his feet, the machinery in the bay still running. There were plenty of distractions for him to cover his approach, but Corden never trusted in luck.
    Lana's explanation was good. She had almost mastered that old trick of first believing your own lie and only then telling it. But there were subtle hints that Corden noticed that gave her away. Worgen noticed them too. How could he not?
    When the word "kill" echoed through the bay and Lana's beautiful face paled, Corden winced. The thought of her dead sent such a painful spike through his mind it physically hurt.
    "Pity," Worgen was saying, approaching the captain like a storm.
    She backed away, her mouth opening and closing without a single word coming out.
    The sound of Worgen detaching his spear was the loudest Corden had ever heard. And the moment hit with all the ferocity he'd heard about.
    Every Brion binding began with the recognizing moment that only the men experienced. One moment of absolute clarity, their life given purpose, everything suddenly in focus. Even the Monster of Briolina, a man believed to be incapable of emotion—a lie, Corden knew—had said that it felt like the world being made whole. It was a brilliant moment that lifted the man up, pushed his entire being to a whole new plane of existence, when he saw his fated.
    The sight before Corden's eyes couldn't have been further from amazing. Lana, his fated, his gesha , backing away from the man he'd been sent to kill. One of the most ruthless, powerful men who ever lived. Who was no longer supposed to be alive.
    And whose death he was now destined to ensure.
    Corden had always prided himself on his self-control. It was what the rest of him was built on, the iron hold he had on his own temper, his desires and wishes. In one second, he was at a war with himself in a way that nearly tore him apart. Every inch of him ached to dash from his cover, pull his own spear and see if he could kill a legend.
    His mind howled against that. Corden's blood boiled, red-hot, so vivid it nearly blinded him. But underneath, his control held tight, held with all it had.
    You'll die. She'll die. This will all end.
    It was the truth, Corden knew that. He knew nothing of Worgen but for the fact the man had hundreds of